Celebrating Professional Engineers Week

The last week of February is dedicated to celebrating Professional Engineers, the minds behind the buildings, roads, water services, and many other aspects of everyday life. Over the course of this week, we have gotten the chance to talk with several of our Professional Engineers and hear more about why they joined the profession and where they continue to find their motivation.

Alex Gustafson, PE

After nearly a decade as a civil engineer, Alex Gustafson, PE contributes to MCE’s land development team as a Project Manager. A 2016 Kansas State University graduate, he joined MCE in October 2025 and has quickly become a valued member of our team. His talent spoke volumes, and his technical knowledge lends itself to the field daily.  

From field work to design to management, Gustafson has seen how each phase of the process contributes to engineering excellence. He believes understanding every aspect contributes to the magnificent structures we see daily. 

He explains, “Seeing how things are built before you design them helps you be more efficient and have a smoother process with the contractor building it. And then the longer I've been in design, the more I've seen the importance of proper training and recognition of younger talent.” 

Gustafson credits much of his success to the strong work ethic and attention to detail he honed early in his career. To him, work ethic is not limited to what happens during office hours—it also shows up in how someone manages life outside of work. He believes taking responsibility in your personal life naturally carries over into your career. “You get better at scheduling, figuring out how much time you actually need to do something and how to be efficient with it,” he says. 

He points to a noticeable change in the engineering field: a growing respect for the individual behind the design. In his view, the profession is moving away from unrealistic expectations and toward recognizing the people who create these complex projects. With nearly ten years of experience, Gustafson is grateful to see the industry evolving to value high standards and the professionals who meet them. 

“The whole culture of our industry has shifted to be more accommodating. When I started, it was, ‘No, this is just the way it is,’” he says, emphasizing that the backbone of engineering is flexibility and progression. Understanding this cultural shift will positively affect incoming professionals, allowing them more creativity and intentional design.  

Jarrett Elliott, PE

Engineers design projects that affect our lives in ways we will never personally interact with. Arkansas has a large agricultural industry, and it requires help from all sectors. While it seems like an easy fact, agriculture pilots need airports. As they travel their cargo across the state or even the country, they must have areas to land safely so that the rest of the residents can go about their lives.  

Jarrett Elliott, PE has worked out of McClelland’s Little Rock office since 2023. He says that every project is different and there will always be new and exciting challenges that arise with them. One thing that shocked him was how surprisingly social the job can be. 

Elliott talks about how engineering is not all behind a computer, but a lot of it is networking and client communication. He says, “In college, you just think about the design part of it, the theoretical part. Then you get a job in consulting.”  He continues discussing how a large part of the work is selling your abilities and being able to walk someone through what you are doing and how you are doing it.  

“With McClelland being an engineering firm, we get to utilize a lot of our projects, just like everyday life,” Jarrett says about using the roads, using the water fountain, or flying somewhere on vacation. He recognizes how this job impacts everyone’s lives  

Elliott says that there are a lot of misconceptions about his work, saying that building non-commercial, rural airports seems like no one will use them. He takes it in jest and responds, “No, a lot of agriculture pilots use them. That's very critical, because East Arkansas is one of the biggest rice producers in the country.” 

Jarrett Elliott, PE is proud to contribute to Arkansas’s infrastructure and hopes to work diligently to keep it thriving.  

Elliott is proud to contribute to Arkansas’s infrastructure and remains committed to supporting the industries that help keep the state thriving. Projects like regional airports may not always be visible to the broader public, but their long-term impact on agriculture and economic stability is significant. Ensuring these systems function efficiently is a responsibility he takes seriously. 

Katie Rutledge, PE

While most people enjoy the use of roads and public systems, not many can say they design or build them. For most, we trust that roads will take us where we need to go with no thought to how they were designed, but that was not true for Katie.  

Katie Rutledge, PE, was driving with her parents one day when she found herself asking, “I wonder how they figure out where roads go?” After earning her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, she serves as a transportation engineer with MCE’s Little Rock team, contributing to roadways and project development daily.  

Her father was an electrical engineer, so Rutledge grew up encouraged to join the STEM field and was never afraid to ask questions. Katie discusses why it is important to solve unique problems and believes that it is the whole purpose of engineering. She says it’s natural to want to set rules and guidelines on how to solve a problem; however, “if we were using the same blanket approach to everything, then it wouldn't be engineering.” 

“Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions and make sure you understand the why of what you're doing,” she comments on how easy it can be to get caught up in doing what is needed and moving on—especially with more tedious work. Katie hopes that the future of engineering can take the time needed to not just know how to do the work, but to understand why it is needed, where the answers come from, and always be open to the possibility of change.  

Rutledge prepares herself to be ready for new challenges that a job may pose to her, and it is the thrill of the solution that keeps her on her toes. Katie Rutledge, PE, is a proud engineer, and she finds herself excited for the future of the field.

Mark Maloy, PE

Engineers design systems people rely on daily, but Mark Maloy, PE describes the profession in more direct terms. “We are the problem solvers aiming to make infrastructure safer and more efficient for all,” he says. As part of McClelland’s Fayetteville transportation department, Maloy approaches each roadway and trail project as what he calls “an evolving puzzle from a scavenger hunt guided by rough sketches.”  

Maloy says that engineering does not have all the answers, but knowing how to find them. “I don't know all the answers to building a roadway or trail, but I generally know where to look or who to ask to find out,” he explains.  

He emphasizes that engineering is inherently repetitive. “Define the problem, identify the steps involved, assess the details of each step, then work through the data and information we find to determine what the final design looks like.” Following deliberate, structured processes ensures that decisions have both technical data and practical realities informing them. 

Maloy used to believe engineers designed the world. Over time, he has recognized that they are often not the final decision-makers. Instead, they gather the data, identify constraints, and clarify what is feasible. “We inform those that make decisions, and occasionally, we get to make those decisions ourselves.” That role, one of providing logic and structure within the “big picture,” is one he values. 

He has realized that textbook solutions rarely make it to the real world. Engineers may identify the ideal solution, but the final design requires balancing budgets, timing, and community impact without compromising integrity. Even when information appears unclear, examining the “how” and “why” helps to manage reasoning. This analytical discipline guides his daily work in transportation, where safety and public impact must align. 

In Fayetteville, Mark Maloy, PE brings his measured and data-driven mindset to every project. By combining technical expertise with a personal understanding of the impact, he contributes to transportation systems designed to serve the community efficiently and responsibly. 

William Hopkins, PE

Engineering is often perceived as solitary, but not for William Hopkins, PE. Hopkins thrives through the social aspect of engineering: networking, meeting with clients, and conveying why a project matters. He says it’s the “overlooked part of engineering.” While technical understanding is necessary, he sees communication and relationship-building just as critical to delivering a successful outcome.  

Hopkins began developing that confidence early. As a 23-year-old intern, he volunteered to serve as the primary contact managing materials testing operations for a runway extension project. When leadership offered the assignment to a group, he chose to step forward. “They put my name on the list, so they thought I could do it, and I ran with it,” he recalls. That decision gave him a visible leadership role and helped accelerate his professional growth. Proving himself at a young age reinforced his capability. 

At its core, Hopkins simplifies engineering to its essence: “We solve problems… it’s as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.” He often jokes, “I tell people, I poke dirt for a living,” referencing his work in geotechnical engineering. Originally pursuing mechanical engineering, he ultimately chose a path that would keep him in fresh air and sunlight. “Being in Geotech has given me that opportunity,” as he explains. The field provides both the hands-on environment he sought and the client interaction that keeps him engaged. 

When confronted with complex challenges, Hopkins strives for collaboration. “It’s either through collaboration and talking to other people about it… we’ve got an extensive knowledge base,” he says, pointing to the value of experienced colleagues and shared institutional expertise. Engineering solutions are rarely developed in isolation, rather they are chiseled through dialogue, research, and experience. 

The profession demands skills that are not always emphasized in academia. “It’s not something we’re taught in school… it’s the social part of it,” he says when talking about networking and client development. Over time, creating those connections expanded his role in the field and has shown him engineering is advanced through people as much as technical skills. 

In 2020, he heard early discussions about initiatives he now oversees. Today, he serves as a primary point of contact on several of those same efforts, ultimately providing his professional approval. Reflecting, he values the perspective it offers: “It’s good to look back on a project and have the self-satisfaction to say we did a good job.”